Wide area networks (WANs) are becoming ubiquitous, and relatively large volumes of data are often transferred between computing devices in WANs. To support the transfer of large volumes of data, operators of respective WANs invest a substantial amount of resources into computer networking hardware that facilitates data transfer between computing devices in WANs. Maximizing the utilization of such computer networking hardware in a WAN, therefore, is desirable from an efficiency standpoint.
Unfortunately, requestors of data transfers in a WAN, which generate network data traffic, are typically unaware of one another. Thus, a requestor of a data transfer sets forth a request with an expectation that the WAN can handle the request, and the data transfer will be immediately initialized. While this is not largely problematic for relatively small volumes of network traffic, when data transfers involving relatively large volumes of data overlap in time, the WAN may be excessively taxed. Such overlapping transfers can occur even if one or more requestors have the option of delaying their transfers to another time, since mechanisms are not provided by which such data transfers can be time-shifted. Consequently, not only can this inflexibility result in periods of excessive network taxation, it can also result in other time periods during which hardware resources of the WAN are underutilized, as there is a relatively small amount of network traffic. Accordingly, operators of WANs are often forced to purchase costly computer networking hardware to accommodate high-demand time periods, when large volumes of data are transferred over the WAN. This typically results in the WAN being over-provisioned, such that such costly computer networking hardware remains underutilized for substantial portions of its service life.